Radiation therapy in patients with carcinoma of the cervix discovered by simple abdominal hysterectomies

Memorial Hospital experience for the subsequent period (1955-1979) is reviewed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative radiation. The clinical information on 53 patients was carefully studied, and it was determined that 51 patients had epidermoid histology and 2 patients had adenocarcinoma. During this period 87% of the patients underwent simple abdominal hysterectomy and 13% had other types of surgical procedures including supracervical hysterectomy or amputation of the cervix for invasive disease. Pathological specimens were reviewed. In 32 patients margins of resection were reported negative, and 21 patients had positive margins or were noted to have gross residual tumors at the margin of resection. Megavoltage radiation by anterior and posterior pelvic portals was used with total doses ranging from 4,500 to 6,000 rads